What the labels don’t say, however, is that they can pose risks so serious that doctors are now warning adolescents, especially, not to consume them on a regular basis. Those who do may experience heart palpitations, seizures, strokes and even sudden death.

Teenagers might not heed such warnings from doctors or adults, but there’s a chance they’ll listen to their peers on the subject. That’s the hope of high school students with the Mobile City-County Youth Council and Mobile Ambassadors, who are spreading the word that the heavy use of energy drinks can be surprisingly harmful.

Their message is timely, considering that experts say as many as half of adolescents and young adults consume energy drinks.

Using a PowerPoint presentation, the students point out that energy drinks are

under-studied and overused, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Teens don’t often realize what they’re consuming, the students say.

For instance, the caffeine in some energy drinks is more than double the 71-milligrams-per-12-ounces limit that regulators impose on soft drinks. Energy drinks may also include an amino acid called taurine, a stimulant called guarana, sucrose, glucose and an artificial stimulant called glucuronolactone.

What’s more, some brands market themselves for sporting events, even though the American Beverage Association doesn’t encourage energy drinks to be used as sports drinks.

In fact, the NCAA has prohibited taurine and guarana, and has ruled that competing athletes cannot have high concentrations of caffeine in their systems. Unfortunately, many teens aren’t getting this message.

The student group has received helpful feedback after its presentations.

For instance, the teens have received suggestions that they push for regulations to handle the sales of energy drinks like those of cigarettes, which have an age requirement. This idea sounds promising.

For now, it’s encouraging that these high school students are educating themselves and others about the hidden dangers in popular energy drinks.